{"id":22327,"date":"2022-01-07T01:22:55","date_gmt":"2022-01-06T17:22:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/nasa-released-autonomous-flight-termination-unit-software-paves-way-for-rocket-lab-launches\/"},"modified":"2022-01-07T01:22:55","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T17:22:55","slug":"nasa-released-autonomous-flight-termination-unit-software-paves-way-for-rocket-lab-launches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/nasa-released-autonomous-flight-termination-unit-software-paves-way-for-rocket-lab-launches\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Released Autonomous Flight Termination Unit software, paves way for Rocket Lab launches"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"img-border featured-image wp-block-image--obfuscated\">\n<p>\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/NAFTU.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27094\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/NAFTU.jpg 823w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/NAFTU.jpg?resize=300,205 300w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/NAFTU.jpg?resize=768,525 768w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/NAFTU.jpg?resize=350,239 350w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/NAFTU.jpg?resize=140,96 140w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/NAFTU.jpg?resize=150,103 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 823px) 100vw, 823px\"><figcaption>The NASA Autonomous Flight Termination Unit (NAFTU) Image Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>This is a major milestone that enables Rocket Lab and other U.S. launch companies to integrate the software now with their launch vehicle\u2019s hardware and run performance simulations. This is a key achievement toward enabling Rocket Lab launches from Wallops, in parallel with the NASA teams\u2019 final safety certification steps, which are currently underway. Rocket Lab\u2019s use of the NASA software will enable a high degree of confidence moving forward toward launch.<\/p>\n<p><cite>David L. Pierce, Wallops Flight Facility director<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Engineering units have flown aboard various sub-orbital rockets and have even flown aboard some Rocket Lab Electron vehicles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The development of NAFTU truly began in 2020 when the program was fully funded and NASA collaborated with the Air Force, Space Force, and the FAA. <\/p>\n<p>\t<span class=\"outbrain-ad-label\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<script type=\"text\/plain\">\n\t\t\twindow.adSlotsConfig = window.adSlotsConfig || [];<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\tadSlotsConfig.push( {\n\t\t\t\tslotID: '\/1049447\/Outbrain',\n\t\t\t\tslotName: 'div-gpt-ad-outbrain-ad-27093',\n\t\t\t\tsizes: [300, 250],\n\t\t\t\tslotPosition: 'mid_article'\n\t\t\t} );\n\t\t<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The NAFTU system is more complicated than other, proprietary automated flight safety systems (AFSS) in that it\u2019s designed to be customizable and support a wide array of launch vehicles at any launch range. \u201cWhile more challenging, the effort overall will provide the single largest impact and the greatest economic benefit by allowing commercial launch providers a common, certified system for flight termination,\u201d said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Ted Mercer, CEO and Executive Director, Virginia Space.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Automated Flight Termination systems will be a required feature for Department of Defense launches by 2025. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"27095\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/2022\/01\/05\/nasa-released-autonomous-flight-termination-unit-software-paves-way-for-rocket-lab-launches\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all\" data-orig-size=\"6618,4412\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" height=\"683\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27095\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1.jpg 6618w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1.jpg?resize=350,233 350w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1.jpg?resize=140,93 140w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1.jpg?resize=1500,1000 1500w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/01\/electron_launch_vehicle_at_rocket_lab_launch_complex_2_002-1.jpg?resize=150,100 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption>Electron at LC-2, which is located at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Image Credit: Rocket Lab<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Automated flight safety systems are a game changer for enabling launches from Virginia\u2019s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA Wallops and decreasing cost for access to space in the future. NAFTU will be the system that leads this effort for many years to come.<\/p>\n<p><cite>retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Ted Mercer, CEO and Executive Director, Virginia Space<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"enjoy-reading-space-explored\">Enjoy reading Space Explored?<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The NASA Autonomous Flight Termination Unit (NAFTU) Image Credit: NASA This is a major milestone that enables Rocket Lab and other U.S. launch companies to integrate the software now with their launch vehicle\u2019s hardware and run performance simulations. This is a key achievement toward enabling Rocket Lab launches from Wallops, in parallel with the NASA [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22327"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22327"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22327\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}